A group of enchanting thieves and sorcerers set out in search of precious artifacts, most notably the resurrection tablet. The main character, Egin (Chris Pine), a former harpist and happy family man, needs a magic tool to resurrect his murdered wife and bring back someone he loves, not only for himself but also for his daughter. He includes his girlfriend Holga (who looks like the medieval Sarah Connor Michelle Rodriguez), the self-made sorceress Simon (Justice Smith), the talented sorceress and part-time werewolf Dorik (IT’s Sophia Lullis), and someone generous. helping him find it. and Robinhood fair paladin Xenk (Bridgerton star Rege-Jean Page).
To fight against this strange company will be Hugh Grant, who is already familiar with the role of the evil bandit and belongs to the most terrible clan of red villains – the powerful witch Sophina (Daisy Head). The latter has taken away Ejin’s daughter and intends to subjugate the entire world (albeit in different ways). Fearless and playful heroes must climb the highest mountain and descend into the scariest dungeon to get what they want and prevent the evil forces from dominating the world.
“Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” is a project that has been before its audience for 10 years. The makers’ ambitious plans to film the famous play of the same name clashed with the irresistible force of the law from the outset. Board game company Hasbro has sued Warner Bros. The two giants nevertheless managed to come to an agreement, and the initial stress was followed by the next: production of the picture passed to Paramount Pictures. And then the painful search for the film’s director and screenwriter began, resulting in the selection of a strong and confident duo of John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein who were equally good at humor and adventure.
In fact, these two components are the main engine of the story. The world of the film, which managed to convey the atmosphere and plot of a board game perfectly to the big screen, would have been pale and predictable if it had fallen into the wrong hands. But both Johns (like Daniels, who shot almost the main Oscar hit “Everything Everywhere and At Once”) by personal examples prove that the author’s hooliganism and bravado are the best ingredients for this rich-tasting movie dinner.
The picture does not let the viewer get bored, resorting to various proven means: here is a dynamic, but not annoying arrangement and an exciting scenario, ideally diluted with fresh and witty jokes (tired jokes). fresh Shazam! and Ant-Man should shyly lower their eyes) and, of course, the cast that finds the perfect balance between top stars and lesser-known (and therefore no time to distract the audience) artists. By the way, Bradley Cooper also has an unforgettable small role in the movie – his character will steal your heart in seconds.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is an unexpected but definitely successful symbiote of everything that made us love role-playing games and the fantasy genre so much. In the best traditions of Marvel and DC, there is the enchanting beauty and atmosphere of Lord of the Rings, the magical realism of JK Rowling and the witty lightness of movie heroes. The only sad thing is that the superhero titans themselves are having a hard time now. There is hope for a third Guardians of the Galaxy, but expectations have been drastically reduced after the failure of two potential blockbuster films: Third “Ant-Man” (squeaked) and the second Shazam! (It did so badly at the box office that the bosses rushed to announce that the movie would soon be digitally released).
These latest examples hardly reflect the genre’s current crisis between DC and Marvel’s best minds, but rather record the stagnation of superheroes in recent years. The second Wonder Woman was equally disappointing, and the feature-length Batgirl was canceled in phase of the already completely finished film. Things aren’t much better for the more masculine series: Recently, Thor has turned into a storm of raging criticism, causing the second Doctor Strange yawns to run through all the multiverses at once.
Forced to create their fantasy worlds within strictly accepted boundaries, writers’ fantasies seem to have run out: the characters have lost their old novelty, the plot has ceased to be an unpredictable attraction that takes your breath away, and the actors who have attained an unprecedented physical form for their superhero roles have lost the old fire in their eyes – in these stories. , more and more they have nothing to play with.
And of course, the appearance of Dungeons and Dragons against this background seems like a long-awaited gift for all fans of the talented genre of adventure movies. And also – a worthy replacement for the superheroes of Marvel and DC, whose leadership clearly needs a short break to work on mistakes and return to the world of comics with new powers and ideas.
In the meantime we are waiting for this, the genre is in good hands. It turns out that the caressing beauty of Middle-earth goes well with magical battles in the spirit of Harry Potter, and the atmospheric world of The Witcher is perfectly friendly with the humor of the Wonderworkers, if all the darkness in it is cleared.
And nothing in this set spoils the overall picture – on the contrary, the movie changes the usual rules of the game and proves once again that you can do it in different ways. And Daley and Goldstein’s fresh eyes and audacity will most likely grow into a major franchise. Moreover, there are still too many unknowns in this magical world to say goodbye to him so early.